1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for reading radio frequency identification transponders which are used to identify, track and monitor meat animals.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Radio frequency identification is a flexible, integrated method for tracking, identifying and monitoring animals. Radio frequency identification transponders may be placed on an animal's ear or other portions of the animal's body. Transponders are generally passive devices which operate without a separate power source. When used to identify an animal, these devices contain a unique code for a particular animal. These passive electronic identification devices may be carried with the individual animal on a collar as illustrated and described in Carroll U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,481, issued Oct. 9, 1984, entitled "Identification System" and in Kuzara U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,353, issued Jul. 31, 1984, entitled "Animal Feeding and Monitoring System"; in an ear tag such as those commercially available from Destron/Fearing, Inc., Allflex USA, Inc. and Avid Marketing, Inc.; in an implant as in the animal illustrated and described in Pollack U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,328, issued Aug. 8, 1989, entitled "Animal Monitoring Telltale and Information System" and in Hanton U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,632, issued Apr. 21, 1981, entitled "Electronic Livestock Identification System"; or in a bolus such as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,632, issued Apr. 21, 1981, entitled "Electronic Livestock Identification System" by John P. Hanton and Harley A. Leach.
When transponders are read using a radio frequency identification reader, they provide the unique code for that animal's identification. Several RFID readers are commercially available, typically from the transponder suppliers, including models from Destron/Fearing, Inc., Allflex USA, Inc. and Avid Marketing, Inc.
The prior art includes RFID readers that can distinguish multiple types of RFID transponders as illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,326, issued Aug. 10, 1993, entitled "Multi-mode Identification System" to Michael L. Beigel, Nathaniel Polish, and Robert E. Malm. Another such reader is that illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,935, issued Sep. 14, 1999, entitled "Programmable Channel Search Reader" to E. Zeke Mejia and Ian Griffiths.
Transponders may also be used in a novel way to identify livestock "events" and "details" associated with a particular animal as described in "Method and Apparatus for Livestock Data Collection and Management" filed by one of the Applicants herein. Such "events" and "details" may include medications, vaccinations, and treatments. These event/detail transponders may be read in connection with the transponder having the unique code for the animal to indicate, among other things, that an animal has received a particular medication, vaccination or treatment. The "events" and "details" may include other identifying information on the animal, such as the animal's color, breed, sex and birth date.
This information is significant in that it may be used in various ways to assist those involved in the production/processing cycle for purposes of quality assurance verification and performance tracking. Those involved in the production and processing cycle of the beef industry, for example, are interested in the following: identifying which animals have a good calving history; monitoring the performance of various pastures; recording calf birth date and birth weight statistics and tracking the genetic history of each animal; evaluating the performance of calves from particular cows or bulls; recording the weaning date and weaning weight of each animal; recording treatments, vaccinations, and other significant or events that have occurred in the animal's life in order to track of the success of treatments as well as to eliminate duplicate treatments; recording beginning, ending, and periodic weight measurements and treatments; recording frame size, muscling, fat content, marbling, and feed efficiency; monitoring health and drug treatments, nutrition, and growth history; recording live animal weight, carcass weight, chilled carcass weight; and recording the yield, grade, and quality of the carcass and carcass defects.